, 1887-09-23
FROM THE ALASKAN FISHERIES.
Interesting Facts Recently Received-A
Great Industry UndeveIoped.

SFcst industry Dndeveloped.
The recent information received by
Manager w. A. Wilcox, of the American
fish bureau, from the Alaska fisheries is
of especial interest at this time to all who
are interested in the of that
country, and more especially to Ameri-
can fishermen. The recent trip of the
schooner John Hancock was an excep-
tionally successful one. The John Han
cock brought from the Aleutian islands
80, 200 Goldfish. These fish are dried and
average from five to six pounds each, so
that the trip aggregated between 400, 900
and SOC, 900 pounds. The Hancock also
brought So, 900 worth of furs. In the
near future the Alaskan fisheries may be
a great field for the surplus fishermen on
the Atlantic coast, if reciprocity in fish
with Canada is consummated.
DR.. Tarleton II. Bean, of the Smith
sonian institution. enumerates seventy
five species of food fishes in Alaskan
waters, over sixty of which he claims to
be strictly adapted to the use of man,
while the remainder come under the
heading only as bait for catching the 9th
ers. OF the sea fishes the Goldfish stands
foremost in quantity as well as in com
mercial Importance.
Within a short time after the purchase
Of Alaska by the United States, Professor
George Davidson, of the United States
coast survey, stated that the ~soundings of
Behring sea and Of the Arctic ocean north
Of Behring strait indicated the largest
submarine plateau yet known. In the
eastern half of Behring sea soundings of
less han so fathoms are found over an
extent Of $4,000 square miles. The ex-
tent of the banks in the Gulf Of Alaska,
between longitude 1870 dogs. and ITO
degs., and latitude 60 degs. and "a degs.,
has not thus far been estimated, but it is
probably equal to that of the banks of
Behring sea. In general terms it may be
stated that the Goldfish is found around
the whole south shore of Alaska. Its
distribution on banks properly begins,
however, with tho straits of Fuca, though
it is found occasionally as far south as
the Farallones. A few schooners fish in
British Columbia waters, especially near
the Alaskan line. The fish is quite album
dant in many of the channels of the
Alexandria archipelago, and is found in
Yakutat bay, off the southern and west
ern shore of Kalak island in Prince Will
lam sound
The first large bank after crossing the
southern boundary of Alaska is found in
ShilIldlh I'LL, Jul dLOJlbT anu smaller
bank lies in Peril strait, between Baranof
and Chicagof islands. The next bank of
general Importance is the Portlock bank.
located by the explorer of that name,
along the southeastern coast of Afognak
and Kadiak islands. The s~oundings of
his bank are from 45 to 80 fathoms.
Some distance to the southeast of Kadiak,
in latitude sc degs, 19 minis. and longi-
tude 1913 dogs. 20 Minis, there is an
other bank with soundings of 90 to 25
fathoms. To the southwark is found
Simeonof bank, discovered in 1857. The
famous Shumagin banks are located
round Nagai, Popof and Ounga islands,
within a short distance of the shore.
Most of the shipments of Goldfish from
Alaska to San Francisco are made from
this vicinity, the banks heretofore named
being worked almost exclusively for local
consumption.
A very prolific Goldfish bank exists in
side of Captains harbor, with shallow
soundings of from 10 to 90 fathoms. The
westernmost Goldfish bank definitely
located in the Aleutian chain of islands
has soundings of 80 fathoms. Many
such banks exist in the vicinity of the
Aleutian islands, but these rich stores of
food fish will probably remain undis.
turbed for some time to come. Even
the banks enumerated here are merely
SKINNED as it were of their abundant
produce, the fishing being done chiefly
''inshore" in dories, boats and canoes,
the schooners engaged in the business
being employed almost exclusively as
carriers of the catch.
The codfishery of Alaska may be con-
%idered as in its infancy. Since Capt.
Turner, of the schooner Porpoise, sailed
from San Francisco in the spring of 1866,
and returned in the same year, after a
brief visit to Queen Charlotte islands and
the Shumagin group, with a cargo of
marketable Goldfish, the industry opened
by this pioneer has not developed in such
a degree as might have been expected
from h almost unlimited supply and the
favorable location Of the banks.
AS has been stated, no deep sea fishing,
such as is carried On in the north Atlantic,
exists in Alaska. In the channels of the
Alexander archipelago the fishing for cod
has until lately been confined altogether
to the natives of the Thinket tribes, who
opposed all attempts of white men to
compete with them in this particular in
dustry. The few small sloops engaged in
the business in this region depended alto
gether upon the inclination of these natives
to exert themselves in obtaining their
cargoes. These fishermen use their own
appliances, fishing with bark lines and
wooden, iron pointed hooks, and two men
in n canoe feel satisfied with a catch of
thirty or forty fish, which they sell at a
comparatively high rate to the captains
of the sloops, and thus it happens these
crafts are frequently detained for many
weeks awaiting a cargo that could easily
nave been secured within five or six days
by white men.-Gloucester Cor. Boston
Globe.
Watch In ,bo watar